TMZ Hip Hop - Page 5

The 2025 Grammy Nominations were announced Friday and as expected, Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us" is being considered for some of the biggest honors!!!

Kendrick's monster diss record against Drake raked in 5 nominations ... Song and Record of The Year, Best Rap Song and Performance, and Best Music Video -- the last nom being a double win for K. Dot.

He co-directed the visual with Dave Free!!!

It's no surprise Kendrick is set to headline next year's Super Bowl halftime show ... "Not Like Us" is the No. 1 song on Billboard's Hot Rap Songs chart with 21 weeks at the top ... in addition to debuting on top of the Hot 100.

It's wild to think Kendrick could go down in history for calling Drake a pedophile on digital wax -- but, if you remember, we caught up with Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. right after the song took off and he had a hunch Grammy voters would be leaning toward it.

The Grammys go down Sunday, Feb. 2 in L.A. -- a week before Kendrick takes the Super Bowl stage.

Lil Durk was charged with 2 additional felony counts in his murder-for-hire plot on Friday ... the Chicago rap star is being accused of conspiracy and using interstate facilities to assist in the assassination of Quando Rondo's cousin.

Feds outlined the new charges and are essentially treating Durk as the kingpin of the operation in a superseding federal grand jury indictment.

Durk and his 5 co-defendants have yet to enter a plea ... the charges are stemming from the August 2022 shooting outside a Los Angeles gas station close to the Beverly Center shopping mall.

J. Cole's work effort is being vindicated after taking a lot of lumps from the hip hop community after releasing his recent album "Might Delete Later" ... it's nominated for Best Rap Album at the Grammys!!!

Friday, the stage was set for Cole to face off against the category leader Eminem, as well as Common and Pete Rock, Kendrick Lamar's top pick Doechii, and Future and Metro Boomin's trouble-causing "We Don't Trust You."

Cole released the album in April but soon shied away from promoting the album after removing the "7-Minute Drill" diss track aimed at Kendrick Lamar ... and apologized for its lameness at his Dreamville Festival in May.

Beyoncé's country crossover has really paid off -- she’s finally getting some award season love for "Cowboy Carter" ... 'cause she's infiltrated some major country categories in the 2025 Grammys!

After Queen Bey's massive award season snubs earlier this year, she’s just bagged a whopping 11 Grammy nominations, making her officially the most-nominated artist this year -- and of all time.  Among the big nods -- Best Country Performance for "16 Carriages," Song of the Year for "Texas Hold 'Em," ... and, most impressively, Album of the Year.

Beyoncé's "Tyrant" didn't quite make the cut for Best R&B Song this year, marking her only submission that didn't earn a nomination. But with all her others, it’s safe to say it's a pretty spectacular Grammy season for her -- with all the country love a long time coming.

Kodak Black appears to be out the $200K he ponied up after his West Palm Beach charity event was suddenly canceled ... and he suspects it's all due to Donald Trump's election victory.

Here's the deal ... KB over a month ago locked in a deal to host an event at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches to ring in Kodak Black Day, which is Nov. 11. Then, on Wednesday ... law enforcement and event organizers canned it ... claiming no bandwidth to host the event, saying security was a major concern.

Bradford Cohen, Kodak's lawyer, tells TMZ ... he suspects all this is political, since it is well known the rapper is an avid Trump supporter -- and DT just won a historic second WH term.

Rihanna's adding more fuel to the retirement rumor fire ... sparking fan speculation online after a recent appearance in Barbados -- where she admitted music got the world's attention, but the Good Lord has more elaborate plans for her.

The singer-songwriter was in her home country Thursday night for a Fenty Beauty event ... and, she grabbed the mic to make an impassioned speech about her career trajectory ... mentioning music opened doors for her but God had plans outside of the art form for her.

RiRi says she's been able to do things she never imagined because of her platform ... creating in ways that are very sincere and organic to the things she's truly passionate about.

The Ohio shooting that nearly took out Bounty Tank -- the famed bounty hunter -- is all on video recorded for his show, and TMZ got the first look at the incident he's lucky to have survived.

This never-before-seen raw footage shows the moment Frank Frazier -- better known as "Bounty Tank" -- is struck by gunfire. You see him rounding a corner outside a house in Akron last month as he tries to serve a warrant, commanding the suspect to put his hands up ... when suddenly 2 gunshots ring out.

Plies filed an explosive lawsuit yesterday accusing Megan Thee Stallion, GloRilla, Cardi B and Soulja Boy of infringing on one of his catalog cuts ... his attorney says its arrival right after the election was just a coincidence!!!

TMZ Hip Hop spoke to Walter Mosley, Esq., on Thursday about his representation of Plies in the suit centered around the Florida rapper's 2008 song "Me & My Goons."

There's since been a new challenger approaching the conversation ... Megan's "Wanna Be" producer LilJuMadeDaBeat lashed out at the lawsuit, claiming his squad sampled Soujla Boy fair and square.

Consequence and Chuck D are fired up this post-election after the poll results didn't go in their favor and firing at America with a lyrical blast about the treatment of its Black citizens!!!

In their new video "What Has America Done," Black people are depicted with their backs up against the wall, as Cons questions their position in the country going into President Donald Trump's new term ... "So what has America done for me? / Push the goal line further? / Accuse me of murder? / Fed me French fries and burgers?"

Chuck D tells TMZ Hip Hop the cyberbullying "bots" this election rival Jim Crow actions ... "Avatars like they’re the new Klan hoodies -- the more things change, the more they stay the SAME!!!"

Diddy's Beverly Hills mansion has become a white elephant on the real estate market, because prospective buyers have shown ZERO interest since it went up for sale 2 months ago.

Real estate sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... there have been "only a few" potential buyers who have even walked through the mansion that was the subject of a massive Homeland Security raid back in March. We're told no one has shown any interest in buying the place.

Our sources say a married couple recently looked at the house and the woman was "creeped out" and couldn't wait to leave.

Rihanna is putting one of her pals to work, work, work, work, work ... having a woman come over and rub her famous backside down with whipped oil body cream from her own brand.

The singer-songwriter appeared in a quick clip posted to a pair of Fenty Instagram accounts ... lying on her front in bright pink lingerie -- when a feminine hand dips into a small cannister of Fenty Skin Butta Drop Whipped Oil Body Cream and goes to town on RiRi's booty.

There's been heavy speculation as to why Kamala Harris got trounced at the polls by Donald Trump, and DJ Vlad says he has the answers ... her media savvy SUCKED!!!

As many Americans are coming to grips with the election results, Vlad ripped both Kamala and Tim Walz caps for passing on VladTV interviews he offered to help get their political promises out to the masses.

Vlad says KH's campaign essentially lost the election by NOT sitting for an interview on his platform -- even after pressing her team for months!!!

Roger Clemens has a message for all the people -- mostly celebrities -- who vowed to hightail it from America if Donald Trump won the presidential election ... saying, "Don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out."

Harris had immense celeb support ... from Taylor Swift and Beyonce to Jennifer Lopez and Bruce Springsteen, as well as a bunch of other wealthy singers and actors from Hollywood and beyond.

Some of her famous backers even claimed they'd head for America's proverbial doors with a Trump victory.

Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadive is making it known he's got DeMar DeRozan's back amid the hooper's feud with Drake ... rocking a Kendrick Lamar shirt courtside when the Raptors came to town!

Cameras spotted the 67-year-old wearing a tee that said "They Not Like Us" for Wednesday's contest at the Golden One Center in Sacramento -- a clear message to the Toronto-based rapper after comments he made on Saturday's broadcast.

The beef was ignited after Drake was asked if the Raptors should retire DeRozan's jersey -- after having spent nine seasons in the Six.

10:30 AM PT -- Halle Bailey reinstated her accounts Thursday morning, and said she may have overreacted last night -- clarifying DDG is a great dad, and thanking Kai Cenat for the gifts to her son.

DDG and his baby boy Halo were the latest guests on Kai Cenat's stream night -- a move unapproved by Halle Bailey -- and she told the entire world about it!!!

On Wednesday evening, Halle brought more attention to her child being the center of attention on Kai's stream -- where he was treated to a live baby shower in his honor!!!

Kai has millions of followers each night and Halle says her not being notified put her in a bad position as a mother. She later told the internet she's suffering from postpartum depression.

Tekashi 6ix9ine may have to sit in jail for another month ... 'cause the federal government is recommending he serve 30 days for violating the terms of his supervised release.

According to new documents obtained by TMZ ... the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York says Tekashi will appear in court next week and admit to the violations the government has charged him with.

In terms of punishment, the U.S. Attorney will recommend he immediately head back to jail for 30 days. Once out, they will want Tekashi to begin another year of supervised release.